Suzhou

On Sunday myself and a colleague decided to brave the Chinese rail system and take a day trip to Suzhou about a 40 minute train ride. The train stations in China are massive and packed much like every where else. There are various waiting rooms for trains and line ups in the waiting rooms to go to the platform.
We got on the train and got off in Suzhou no problem. Once leaving the train station hall, a group of people come around me, since I stand out a bit, asking things in Chinese/English mostly involving taxis. We end up going to a stand that promises a day trip around the city to 2 gardens, a boat ride and ending in the historic downtown, and it is all in English. We sign up and get in an old van. The garden was pretty and had a good look out, then we went to the canals, the city is call the Venice of the East, due to all the canals through the city. It was a nice ride and there was a guide that told us all about the area, the history, the architecture, the people and the local economy.... well at least that is what I am guessing, because it was all in Chinese!
I normally would not be annoyed but that was the major selling point for us. So by this time we are wondering if we are still on the correct tour since we were switching buses so often. We went to a temple for some music, and then everyone got up and left, then went to a silk museum where someone spoke very softly to us in English, while another tour guide yelled into an micro phone. It was all too funny. I think it was a crash course in Suzhou as well as Chinese.
We made another stop and had to sit through what I think was an info-mercial on pearl powder, which is some form of lotion since she put it on all of us.
We managed to find a place to eat, though the meat choices were far from what we were used to (Chicken feet, Pigs feet, Claw, shark fin, fish heads... the list goes on). I went vegetarian for the evening. Overall it was a great day, a lot of laughs. I will post pictures of my favorite signs soon.

Down the street

The first week I arrived I discovered something very dangerous for me down the street, "Pearl City". It is a building with three floors, the first floor is filled with aggressive shop keepers and cheap knock-offs, the third floor with toys and tailors, however the second floor is jammed packed with jewelry! Pearls of every color and shape, gem stones of a large assortment and people that are willing to make whatever you wish. I have already been there a few times and have found a shopping buddy for the place. We go walk around and already know many of the shop keepers. I am going to have to find a way to limit myself to this fabulous and dangerous place.

Waving and Wondering

I had my internet set up at my flat. The company sent a technician who arrived on time. He did not speak English and my Mandarin is limited to “Right”, “left”, “please stop here”, “I do not know”. First we had to find the socket in the flat for the ethernet. We ended up moving all the furniture in the flat and then found it in the bedroom. After that task was complete he asked me something, which I asked him to repeat it (not really sure why but perhaps I could gain some clues from his gestures), I did not understand him the second time oddly enough. So he started to outline a rectangle box with his hands. I figured we were looking for a rectangle on the wall. Again, we moved all the furniture and searched the rooms, I was the winner and found the rectangle in the storage closest. We rejoiced by giving a little cheer and then he went about his work.

The technician then needed to see my computer, he was not familiar with Mac’s but tried anyway. He connected everything, however, we could not get my computer to accept the passwords. This is when the questions started. He would ask long questions while looking for things on the computer. I would stare at him trying to come up with context clues and give and answer to the question I thought he asked, which normally came in the form of a question. He would stare at me, then we would just laugh, harder and harder with each question and misunderstanding. I showed him what I thought he was asking for then would point at words on the screen hoping that he had some key words for his trade like I had for the taxi. No such luck. He started navigating and we ended up in iTunes. It was his turn to point at Chinese characters and then would slowly write them out for me to ease me into understanding. I tried but well designed boxes with lines do not translate into words for me yet. He did ask in English if I had a Chinese friend. So we called an HR person from the school. I did not get to talk to the HR person the first time, so that really did not help with translation.
Since we could not figure out the ethernet I decided to ask if he could set up my wireless. I said “wireless” while waving my arms in the air to signify the internet going through the air to my computer. He just stared. I tried again pointing to the cord out of the wall then following up with my internet gesture. Another stare, this time with a questioning expression topped off by saying something in Chinese. Then I brought out my router and modem to him. He helped with that, but I did not remember the passwords and I did not expect him to figure out what the German password to a router would be.
The whole experience ended in laughter and a phone call to the HR person and a visit to the iStore at the end of my block.

Transportation, Touch, Translation, Transactions

August 9, 2009 day 2 in Shanghai. I arrived on the evening on Friday and Saturday consisted of going to the school I will be working at, meeting up with another teacher and trying to purchase some basis. I live on a street called Hong Mei Road in the suburb HongMei Lu. There are a lot of people in the streets so it does not feel like a suburb but is a lot quieter after being into the center in Shanghai. I still do not have hot water, it is not soo bad to deal with since it is 30 degrees C and 75% humidity.
This morning I decided that I would go to Carrefour, a french chain store with house hold things and many shops in it. I went down the street to the right instead of the left. I walked to an area with only Chinese signs (on my street most of the signs have some english as well) and most people were staring at me on the street.
did not find the store so went back and met a woman from school to explore Shanghai center. She is a French woman who is moving from Australia so it makes her accent rather interesting. She wanted to try to get to the center using public transportation. We just got on a bus as we were not sure which one and tried to ride it until we got to a metro stop. We got off too early and had to get a cab to the station. Luckily the driver had a phrase book and that is how we finally communicated with him. Then we got on the metro to People’s square at the top of the main pedestrian shopping street, Nanjing. We walked through the streets and I definitely stuck out so much that an elderly man came up to me grabbed me on the arm and said “nee how” which means ‘Hello” then gave me a huge smile and a thumbs up. About 40 minutes later on a different street a woman in her 60’s came up to me, touched my arm and started laughing and saying “Nee how”, big smile and a thumbs up. Then asked my colleague if she was my mother and touched my arm giggled then rubbed her head on my arm., perhaps for good luck I am not sure. Either way I gave her a good laugh, I guess being blonde and 5’9’’ prompts that reaction, never worked in Norway.
We continued to wander, found the Bund with a lot of construction and strange/foul smells. We were trying to head to the French concession and it ended up being further by foot than we thought so caught a little scooter there. Basically is it tricycle with a bench that you sit on backwards. We saw some 4 Chinese girls pile out of one. I was super nervous about this and hung on as the guy speeded between traffic, over pot holes, over construction areas. We were going backwards which is probably better so we could not see what was in front of us. We got some funny looks and one woman in a car was laughing hard at my nervous face, and waved. I waited for the thumbs up but did not get it. After about 15 minutes in this things we got to the Fuxing Park in the French Concession. There were so many people sitting around (even in the main street people were just sitting around) playing cars, board games, kids catching fish and women standing around and singing. After walking around the park and lunch we headed back to Hong Me Lu to get some supplies.
At the store there were people in every aisle to help with your selections. I went to find laundry detergent and one of the ladies went on and on about it in Mandarin I am sure explaining how great it was. She kept pointing and to the Chinese Characters as if that would convince me to purchase this product. The only English on the whole thing was “Mite Laundry detergent”. I was unsure if that was against Mites? If I need to be concerned about these bugs so much that I need to wash my clothes with this detergent? Or if the translator really meant ‘This detergent MIGHT work”. I did not take it, so she grabs another bottle that has NO English on it and again points to the Chinese Characters and goes off in Mandarin. I guess to younger people I do not prompt the touch-thumps-up approach.